Burial casket



BURIAL GASKET Filed Marcnvll, 1940 2 sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ATTO R N EYS wlTN Ess w. l. DAVIS BURIAL GASKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 1l, 1940 ATTORNEYS WITNESS Patented July 29, 1941 UNITED sr 'fr lor.rai-'cia more especially to -a moistureproof casket.

The primary'object of =the inventionis the -pro- *',lision Yof a icasket fof `thisgcharacter wherein Athe vbodyhas .its cover hermetically 4sealed in-a Vman- -ner to exclude the entrance of moisture -to -the interior and within the casket vapor lfrom the -corpse when-confinedftherein will-haverexi-t so as to eliminate moisture lfrom withinxthesaid casket, 4resulting in a moistureproof casket.

Another lobj ect of -theinvention is Ythe .provision of a casket of this character wherein the body `and cover are made Afrom `sheet metal, vbeing streamlined, and interiorly of such Ycasket-is -arranged a condenser so that when the casket is sealed bacteriaaction .set-up 'resulting a form of vapor given-offlfrom the corpse will betr-apped or collected and dispersed from such casket fand in this manner maintaining a dry Apreservation of the corpse within the casket.

A `further-object of Ythe invention is the provision o'f a casket of this character wherein surface -or underground burial may be had'and in any ev'nt with respect to the `character-of burial the casket will be moistureproof and will emit or deliver moisture from 'within the said casket so that vthe corpse vwillbepreserved in a dry state,

'the 'manner of discharging the moisture thrown 'off `from a corpse when hermetically sealed within a casket is novel and the structure for accom-, plishin'g 'this is unique.

'A still 'lfu'rther object o ffthe invention is Vthe .provision 'of 'a casket of this character, which 'is'siihple'in construction, thoroughly reliable and ef'cirt inits operation lfor 'the purposes stated,

susceptible of 'long life, neat in appearance, and

` Withtl'iese and other objects in view, the invention' consists 'in 'the features of construction,

cmbinatiohan vafi-.rangement of parts as will be hereinafter moreiilly described in detail, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which disclose the pref-erred and modified forms of embodiment of the invention and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through a casket constructed in accordance with the invention and adapted for underground burial.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the cover of the casket removed from the body of th same.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the arrows.

LFigure 4 is Ia sectional viewftaken on the line \l'4 of 'Figure 1 looking inthe direction vof -the arrows.

Figure -5 is -a vertical longitudinal .sectional view, partly .in elevation, illustrating, a tmod'iii'ed form of--casket adapted -for surf-ace `or mausoleum burial. Y@ y f g .l

p Figure 6 `is a -bottomplan -view or the interior .setup =for the casket fas shown in Figure -5, the drain ydevices being removed therefrom.

Figure 7 is a sectional view .on the-line l1-1 of .Figure 6 Vandi'lustrating the drain Ydevices Yin connected relation with .th-e spouts.

--Similar reference kcharacters indicate corresponding lparts .throughout the several views in the drawings.

Referring to the drawings in detaiLparticularly tothe form of casket for undergroundfburial depicted in `VFigures -1 to v2l, inclusive, .the casket in its completed lsetup comprises Ya vbody IU and .cover or lid li, respectively, .preferably `made `-from sheet metal, :and suchare of elongated, --streamlined -f0rmation. l i v theend Walls ,I3 of this body fl) vhave the upper .portions 'thereof about the top opening of the body instruck to form an inwardly offset, unbroken, 'ledge-forming rim |4 fashioned witha downwardly disposed jcounterseat l5, the ylatter accommodating vtherein .a right angularly dis-v posed,subjacent portion 15a 'formed on the'inner end of a horizon-tally and inwardly dispos-ed Yflange t5 defining the lowerend of the cover Il. yThe flange `I- and .portion Him are disposed in substantially Iappressed `relation with Vthe rim rI4 and walls deiining the countersink Vl5 and are V hermeticallv .sealed thereto after the placing of a corpse within the said body 'for burial purposes, either underground or above thefsurface.

The body liinteriorly thereof :is decoratively linedincIuding cushions and padding at thebottom, sides and preferably one end, as at l1 and i8, respectively7 while preferably Within this body I0 at the other end is a decorative head rest or pillow I9. The interior finishing of the body is conventional to modern casket manufacture.

Attached to the cover or lid Il or in any manner suspended therefrom interiorly of the body l0 when the said lid or cov-er is applied thereto is a condenser in the form of an upwardly curvedY elongated hood or dome-like section 2U, being v tapered from one end toward the other in conformity with the placement of lthe head and feet of the corpse within the body l0 so that the smaller end will overhang the feet and the wider end the head of said corpse. The hood or dome- The side -Walls .l2 ,and

like section 20 has formed at opposite longer sides thereof and entirely across one end, that is, the smaller end thereof, a drain trough or gutter 2| The side stretches of the trough or gutter 2l are inclined in the direction of the Wider end of the said hood or dome-like section 20 where these side stretches merge or open into downwardly convergent delivery spouts or chutes 22. These spouts or chutes 22 communicate with a combined liquid trap or catch basin and outlet device 23 equipped with a return check valve 24, spring closed and automatically opened or released so that on the opening thereof liquid within the device 23 will discharge therethrough to without the body I0.

When a corpse is placed within the casket and the cover or lid Il is hermetically sealed upon the body Ill, after the passing of several hours bacteria action takes place within the corpse. This bacteria action results in moisture or vapor being thrown off from the corpse and by the presence of the condenser interiorly of the casket suspended from its cover or lid Il such moi-sture or vapor accumulates or deposits on the hood or dome-like section 20 and on condensation ows into the trough or gutter 2| thence continues to ilow into the spouts or chutes 22 for delivery into the device 23 and becomes discharged therefrom on the opening of the valve 24 to the exterior of the casket. In this way the casket will be rendered dry within and the hermetically seated lid or cover Il as Well as the normal closure of the valve 24 in the device 23 precludes the entrance of moisture from without to within the said casket, thus resulting in a moistureproof casket construction.

In Figures to '7, inclusive, of the drawings there is depicted a modification of the invention wherein the casket is particularly adapted for surface or mausoleum burial. The body 25 of the casket has its cover or lid 26 hermetically sealed thereto at the joint 21 in the same mannerpas the joint created at I4, I5, I5a and 16 hereinbefore described, yet the principle of assembly is the same.` Within the body 25 of the casket is a condenser in the form of a hood or dome-like section 28, being removable from within said body independently of the removal of the lid or cover 2B. This hood or dome-like section 28 is upwardly arched with reversely sloping opposite ends 29 and throughout the opposite longer sides and crosswise of opposite ends thereof is a continuous trough or gutter 30. The side stretches and the end stretches of the same are upwardly arched and at the points 3| of these stretches intersecting with each other there is provided downwardly extending spouts or chutes 32 inserted within and communicating with the upper vertical end sections 33 of outlet devices 34 xedly arranged within the body l0 for the alignment of the spouts or chutes 32 therewith. rIhe devices 34 are each provided with a laterally disposed drain section 35 extending through the adjacent side of the body so that moisture present within the body 25 having the cover or lid 26 hermetically sealed thereon will discharge laterally and exteriorly of the casket onto the floor or other support for the casket and maintain the same dry within. In other words, the moisture emitted from the corpse in vapor character will deposit on the hood or dome-like section 28 and on condensation, flow through the trough or gutter 3i), the spouts or chutes 32 and the devices 34 for discharge to without the casket as heretofore explained and for the purposes set forth. It is to be understood that the various drainage parts are to be constructed of rustproof material to present smooth drainage surfaces and thus preclude clogging and the like.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt the same for use under various conditions of service. Moreover, it is not indispensable that all the features of the invention be used conjointly since they may be employed advantageously in various combinations and sub-combinations.

It is obvious that the invention is not conned to the herein described use therefor as it may be utilized for any purpose to which it is adaptable. It is therefore to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific construction as illustrated and described, as the same is only l illustrative of the principles of operation, which are capable of extended application in various forms, and that the invention comprehends all construction within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A casket, comprising a body having a lid for closing the same, a hood-like section arranged interiorly of the body close to the lid and having all of its walls sloping downwardly, a trough carried by the inner lower ends of all the walls and adapted to receive the condensation passing from the walls, and a spout communicating with said trough and extending through the lower end of the casket for conveying the condensation from the casket.

2. A casket, comprising a body having a lid for closing the same, a hood-like section arranged interiorly of the body close to the lid and having all of its walls sloping downwardly, a trough carried by the inner lower ends of all the walls and adapted to receive the condensation passing from the walls, a spout connected to said trough and communicating with the exterior of the casket for conveying the condensation from the casket, and a relief valve for closing said spout.

WILLIAM I. DAVIS'. 

